Mongiardo Files Complaint Against Conway

Democratic Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate hopeful Dan Mongiardo has filed an ethics complaint against his primary opponent, Attorney General Jack Conway.

From the AP:

DEMOCRATIC U.S. SENATE CONTENDER DANIEL MONGIARDO HAS FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST HIS MAIN RIVAL WITH KENTUCKY’S EXECUTIVE BRANCH ETHICS COMMISSION.

THE COMPLAINT CLAIMS ATTORNEY GENERAL JACK CONWAY “VIOLATED THE PUBLIC TRUST” BY ACCEPTING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM UTILITY COMPANIES, THEIR EXECUTIVES AND LOBBYISTS WHILE PLAYING A ROLE IN DECIDING RATE HIKES. THE COMPLAINT FILED TUESDAY SEEKS AN EXPEDITED RULING FROM THE COMMISSION.

MONGIARDO HAS FOCUSED HIS ATTACKS ON CONWAY’S ACCEPTANCE OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM UTILITY INTERESTS IN WHAT HAS BECOME AN ACRIMONIOUS CAMPAIGN BETWEEN THE TWO MAIN CONTENDERS IN THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY.

Conway shot back that he doesn’t “approve” any increases and such rate increases are approved by the state Public Service Commission, which was appointed by “the Beshear-Mongiardo administration.”

As attorney general, Conway can intervene in rate cases and often negotiates settlements that must be approved by the PSC. He said during the debate that he has saved utility customers more than $100 million in rate increases since taking office in 2008.

And he noted that past attorneys general Greg Stumbo and Ben Chandler, who are supporting him in the primary, have defended his work representing utility customers and called for Mongiardo “to knock it off.”